I am a mother, an author and an avid reader. Over the last few years I have read 100s of children’s books, appealing to ages 2-6 years.

I believe children’s books aren’t just for children! As the chumps that do all the reading – there should be something in it for us adults too! So these reviews about calling out children’s books that you will want to READ or AVOID and why. I will give each book a score /5 and so will my daughter, Hazel. This may give you insight into which books may be god-awful for you to read (again and again), yet hold some mysterious value for your child.

Don’t talk down to my kid – she is smart and she can grasp concepts deemed above her age level. She loves to learn new words – so use some already!

Stereotypes = Yuck – Not all boys wear blue and play with trucks and not all girls wear pink and play with dolls. I love books that challenge stereotypes and make room for Hazel to form her own opinions.

Talk about our world – as much as fantastical worlds are fun, I love books that use our real world to play out an adventure. Our world is a magical place! Just add a kid’s imagination and the possibilities are endless.

I’m a sucker for Rhyme –  nothing more to say there.

Don’t scare my kid! – Since our environment is so darn cushy, there isn’t much for Hazel to be naturally scared of. She LEARNS that things are “scary” from other people and influences. Writing a book about being scared of the dark, suggests to kids that they should be scared of the dark – even if the moral of the story is, there’s nothing to be scared of!

Think outside of the box – sooooo many children’s books contain the same themes and content. I like books that are unique and look at things from a different angle.

I know what I like, when I see it. I’m open to read ANYTHING… as long as it’s not scary (see point 2)

I don’t like scary stuff, like witches, goblins and monsters.

I like pictures. If there is too much yap and not enough pictures, I begin to get bored. Pictures help me understand the story and added bonus if you hide something in a picture for me to find.

I love learning new words…

I’ll be publishing a review at least once a fortnight. Here’s what I have so far…